"I Started Ozempic Last Night" THREAD THREE

[Athena51]

Starting a new thread as we are dangerously close to finishing thread two. So great to have this supportive community to share our experiences of taking Ozempic for weightloss.

"Old-timers" and new starters all welcome!

Last day of February and I have lost 3 3/4 lb since the last day of January. Not loads but trending down. I did have a half term blip but since quitting sugar again last week I have lost 1 1/4 lb so that is positive. I have 5lb to go to get my BMI under 30. Maybe a good target for March.

I agree that anyone on Oxempic ( or Saxenda or Wegovy when it becomes available)needs to be aware of the risk of low blood sugar and not think about long term fasting for example. Sometimes on Ozempic it’s easy to miss meals but I’m always conscious of the need to still eat at regular intervals. Plus I have no medical history of low blood sugar personally & have sugar in tea so don’t see myself as vulnerable to this particular side effect. Nevertheless, it is something everyone should be aware of.

If you're worried, why don't you get a blood glucose monitor?

I’m not worried for me @Cozytoesandtoast00. I know I was close to type 2 diabetes. So no low blood sugar issues for me. I’m concerned that not everybody seems to understand the blood sugar/insulin side of Ozempic versus the purely appetite suppression of Saxenda. As I understand the differences between the two drugs anyway. As I said I’m not judging anyone as I totally get the whole wanting to lose weight particularly for people (like me!) who have a lot to lose and have tried everything over the years.

Oh I see.
Hypoglycemia is a rare side effect, but I understand the need to highlight it as an issue, particularly with fasters.

I definitely chose ozempic because of the insulin effects as well as the appetite suppressant. I did consider saxander but I have never had low sugar, don’t drink sugar in tea etc and for me the ease of a weekly injection just made ozempic an easier choice as well as having the added bonus of lowering my blood sugar. I will move on to wegovy when it’s available here as I understand the higher doses are better for weight loss.

I do think I may have to re-think my fasting. I wake up hungry and then that decreases as the day goes on. I broke my fast at 1;30 yesterday but was STARVING. Then come dinner at 7 i couldn’t eat more than a few mouthfuls so I may need to start fasting 2pm-8am maybe?

I know they aren’t exactly the same drug but they are both GLP-1 analogues which means they both behave like a naturally produced hormone. Both medicines work in a very similar way within the body which is why the side effects are the same. The main difference is that Semaglutide is a longer lasting medicine, hence the injection can be taken once a week rather than daily.

I don’t see any need to let yourself get starving on Ozempic. Probably better to eat small amounts as you get hungry as that is likely to help with nasty side effects like nausea, tiredness etc.
Not that it has helped me with those side effects tbh but hopefully it would with most people!

I looked into this when the NICE approved Wegovy for NHS patients early in 2022. I was going to wait for Wegovy to become available but it has been slow and I thought if I was already on 1mg Ozempic when it came out it would put me in a good position to move over as it is the same drug. I compared weight loss results with Saxenda and Ozempic/Wegovy has better results.

I researched how the drug works and potential side effects to my satisfaction and met all the criteria for the doctors on line. I read all the information sheets that came with the medication.

I guess not everyone will do all that but sometimes you have to give people responsibility of their own health. This is a well researched drug for use in weight loss or NICE would not have approved it and Wegovy wouldn’t be licensed anywhere.

I essentially chose Ozempic over Saxenda because the trials showed that it was more effective. The fact that I've had great success on it is my justification.

There are other drugs coming out which are more effective than Ozempic. Mounjaro is the latest. The active ingredient is Tirzepatide which is both a GLP and GLP-1 agonist. It was also developed as a diabetes drug. The research is compelling. It's not available in the UK yet but I think it's being licensed for weight loss in the US.

We'll see more effective drugs for obesity coming out and why the hell not? Sod people who think that because we're fat we have to suffer to lose weight.

2 more lbs down this week, brings me to 12lb since the 24th January. First official 0.5 shot today (though I did one last week by using the rest of my 0.25 pen). I do find by the weekend I can 'face' more food but I've been sticking to three small meals a day and so far that's helping/working. I do definitely notice the days I don't have enough water too so I've upped that. Close to being under 13st for quite a long time.

I think most of us did do a lot of research before choosing Ozempic - the cost alone is a reason not to go into it lightly not to mention the fear of a weekly injection.
@MiniCooperLover - well done! You started a few days after me and we are about the same weight though you’re slightly lighter. I’m 13 stone 5lb now so still a few weeks off getting under 13 stone but I’m determined to get back into my size 14s by the summer 😀

Thank you Twiglets1, I was able to put my eternity ring on y'day which gave me great joy. I've not been able to wear my wedding rings or eternity ring for over a year, not so much the weight making them too tight but the water retention that came with the weight which seems to be starting to correct itself too.

That's lovely, I'm pleased for you.

Congratulations. That's great going and lovely to be able to wear your rings again. It's so good to hear the successes and milestones of people on here to keep the motivation going.

I have sugar FREEDOM!

I made an apple crumble for my son and allowed myself a very small bit last night. I wasn't craving it, it was a big treat for not having any other sugary snacks over the last few days. And I enjoyed it, but also felt very very full afterwards. I didn't need any more after I ate it (I'd normally go back for more) and today although I know it's there I'm not tempted at all.

I think the tide is turning. It has taken a few days since my first dose on Friday but I'm figuring out how to eat sensibly, little and often. And I can stare down the packet of biscuits in the cupboard with confidence.

The first few days I was still quite hungry, but I think that is easing now. I'm really glad this group is here and I'm really glad I am making the changes to my lifestyle. I keep thinking, this is what it feels like to be normal! The relief is immense.

Also, very few side effects here. Just a fullness in my throat if I ate more than was comfortable. I'm learning how to manage portion size, fewer carbs, more protein.

Good morning all ☺️

Just to clarify, liraglutide was originally designed and licensed to treat type 2 diabetes. It has been repurposed as Saxenda to treat obesity. There have even been trials to repurpose liraglutide for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

The introduction of Wegovy is simply a repurpose of semaglutide to treat obesity, which sits outside of the scope of its existing licence (for diabetes).

In reality this means it has gone through a Phase II and III clinical trial to ensure the treatment is effective for this particular condition (obesity), and ascertain which dose(s) are effective.

Hope that helps.

Morning all, I've been following these threads and have decided after much research to take the plunge and order. I know this has been asked loads but the app won't let me search back so...where would you recommend buying from for a nervous first timer?

I had my second 0.25 injection on Friday night. In the week following my first injection I felt exhausted, poor sleep - not sure if that was connected, and on /off nausea. I had decided to ride it through and hope it would improve. I lost 4 pounds in my first week. This week the nausea has gone and I feel back to normal with energy levels. What has struck me the most is how the food chatter in my head has gone. I can still enjoy food, but I'm not obsessed with it. I'm not constantly fighting a battle to not eat a whole pack of biscuits/chocolate crisps. It's been great focusing on eating good food and sticking to three meals a day. It's really liberating. Food isn't such a big deal and that's been a real shift in my mindset.

Omg my starter pack has just delivered!

This feels real and I'm gearing myself up for my first jab.

Will be unpacking the kit at lunchtime.

@IAmBreathingIn very clear and helpful- thanks 😊

@WhyDoesItAlways for me I found Juniper really good for the first one as they are so reliable and you get a handy set of scales plus a really good support network. There's also a code for £50 off the first pen. Then switch to another, cheaper company for ongoing use.

@Lavendersquare good luck 😉

This was a good read - how Hollywood has gone mad for it

www.thecut.com/article/weight-loss-ozempic.html

Thank you, I remember juniper being popular on the first thread. Do you have a code you could share?

I've also seen it on health express, any recommendations for them?